‘Apprentice’ kicks off celebrity edition

Just when you thought it had entered the history books, “The Apprentice” (8 p.m., NBC) returns, and this time it’s a celebrity version.

The presence of boldface name and/or notorious players from the game’s fabled past always seems to sound like a good idea to the producers of well-worn game shows and reality fare. But they rarely please audiences. It was the emergence of celebrity players on the old “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” that took some of the luster off that game show after it rocked the ratings world back in 1999.

While we like to root for a relative stranger to win big cash prizes, or for an ingenue to get the big job with The Donald, why should we care about somebody who has already had his or her own 15 minutes of fame? And sorry, the fact that they’re playing for charity makes the emotional stakes even lower.

The roster of celebrities playing this “Apprentice” includes Trace Adkins, Carol Alt, Stephen Baldwin and Nadia Comaneci.

OK, we’re not quite in “Surreal Life” territory here, but we’re close. Fans of the show should welcome the scheming Omarosa back into the fold, but they’d probably prefer an unadulterated version of “The Apprentice” and the chance for a new and original Omarosa-level villain to emerge.

Is this really the best way to rekindle interest in “The Apprentice”? Doesn’t anybody at NBC think outside the box? How about an “Apprentice” featuring players stuck in minimum-wage jobs? Or corporate employees who’ve seen their jobs “downsized” over the past year? Or a game between players who have declared bankruptcy or faced foreclosure on their homes? Hey, there are nearly 50 million Americans without health coverage. That’s a lot of potential viewers. How about an “Apprentice” for the uninsured?

NBC needs to find an audience where it can. Any of the groups above would be more interesting than another show featuring celebrity comebacks and has-beens. And I bet the players on my shows would have interesting things to say to The Donald.

For the record, the presence of Stephen Baldwin on “Apprentice” means that there are now three Baldwin brothers floating around prime time. Alec stars on “30 Rock” and William plays the compromised politician on “Dirty Sexy Money.”

l After what seems like a century of debates, the hyper-accelerated presidential primary season begins tonight, not with a primary but a caucus. Cable news is all over it.

CNN’s Iowa coverage begins at 3 p.m., featuring Anderson Cooper, Lou Dobbs and Wolf Blitzer. Coverage will continue through the night, with Larry King hosting a special Iowa wrap-up at 11 p.m.

“You Decide 2008: Iowa Caucus Coverage” (7:30 p.m., Fox News) promises 90 minutes of updates.

MSNBC will begin continuous caucus coverage starting with “Tucker” (5 p.m., MSNBC).

ABC News will anchor both “World News” (5:30 p.m.) and “Nightline” (10:30 p.m.) from Des Moines. Throughout the evening, Charles Gibson will anchor special reports in prime time as caucus results become known.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ Kansas and Virginia Tech meet in the Orange Bowl (6:30 p.m., Fox).

¢ Betty’s writing class is more than she bargained for on “Ugly Betty” (7 p.m., ABC).

¢ Twins die at the same time under very different circumstances on “CSI” (8 p.m., CBS).

¢ Sam finds a kindred spirit in a new patient on “ER” (9 p.m., NBC).

¢ A tornado destroys Wisteria Lane on “Desperate Housewives” (9 p.m., ABC).

Cult choice

A North Carolina native introduces his Chicago bride to his troubled and eccentric family in the 2005 comedy/drama “Junebug” (8 p.m., Lifetime). Amy Adams (“Enchanted”) all but steals this wonderful movie.